How Does MSG Affect Your Health?

by Sirah Dubois

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a common and widespread additive in food used mainly for flavor enhancement, but also for preservation. MSG has been used for well over a century as a food additive, but in the last couple of decades anecdotal claims of illness have been linked to MSG consumption. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists MSG as "generally recognized as safe," although some health experts believe that it can negatively affect your health. MSG safety is controversial and requires more research.

Monosodium Glutamate

MSG is the salt form of glutamic acid, which is a naturally occurring amino acid. Seaweeds and many other plants and vegetables contain glutamic acid. MSG produces a savory but salty taste when added to food, which excites your taste buds and stimulates the release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, according to the book “Human Biochemistry.” The pleasant taste of MSG and the release of neurotransmitters are thought to be the basis for mild levels of addiction that some people may develop to the food additive. When MSG is added to food, the FDA requires that it be listed on the label, although it’s called by a variety of different names which may confuse consumers. For example, MSG is also known as hydrolyzed vegetable or plant protein and sodium caseinate.

Potential Health Effects

Common side effects that have been reported related to MSG consumption include severe headache, flushing, sweating, facial tightness, heart palpitations, chest pains, shortness of breath, nausea, muscle weakness; and numbness, tingling or burning in the mouth, around the face and in the limbs, according to MayoClinic.com. Some people report more severe reactions than others, but the existence of cause and effect, as well as that of potentially dangerous dosages, have not been well established.

Possible Explanation

MSG disrupts brain chemicals because it breaks down into glutamate, which is an important chemical messenger in your brain. Too much of any particular neurotransmitter can become an “excitotoxin” and over-excite cells to the point of damage, according to the book “General and Systematic Pathology.” Too much glutamate in the brain leads to various enzymatic cascades that result in neuron death. This may explain why many symptoms reported from MSG consumption are neurological in nature.

Sources of MSG

Many foods found at restaurants, especially buffets and fast-food chains, contain high levels of MSG. Due to negative perception of MSG, many Asian food buffets claim they do not use any MSG. MSG is also commonly added to commercially made stocks and soups, many canned foods, crunchy snack foods and condiments such as barbecue sauce, pasta sauce and salad dressings. Completely avoiding MSG is a challenge.

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About the Author

Sirah Dubois is currently a PhD student in food science after having completed her master's degree in nutrition at the University of Alberta. She has worked in private practice as a dietitian in Edmonton, Canada and her nutrition-related articles have appeared in The Edmonton Journal newspaper.

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